Coming Out
by Patricia Sage
Summary: Really really bad title!  The events following the Malec kiss in the Hall of Accords.  Alec talkes to his parents and learns things about his dad that he didn't know before.


**Author's Note: Hey. So I was reading City of Bones over for the 6th time and I read in the chapter "a werewolf's tale" that Robert Lightwood had been afraid of the Marks. Every time I read that I think it's interesting and I want to write a fanfiction about it, so here I go. And I love Malec, so I gotta have some in here! ;P**

**-AlecPOV-**

My heart was beating like a caged bird as I approached my parents. I was sure that Magnus could feel it through our interlaced hands. I looked up at him and he gave me a smile that projected love and support. I was so happy to see him smile again. I had treated him awfully and I was glad that I had made up for it by kissing him in front off everyone just moments ago.

After getting lost in his eyes like I always do, I turned back to my parents, who were getting nearer as we made our way over. Usually it would be hard to get through the Hall of Accords filled with Downworlders and Shadowhunters alike. But, after our spectacle, people moved out of our way to let us pass, from either respect or disgust. I didn't much care which one.

I could tell from here that Mom was freaking out. I guess it was a little dramatic of a way to come out, but Magnus didn't deserve anything less. I just hoped that she was freaking out in an 'information overload' way and not in a 'my son is gay; I'm never talking to him again' way. As we neared them, I could hear more of Mom's blathering. She pointed at me when we were at speaking distance. "What? You-you're...when..why?" She took a deep breath and let it out, along with a full sentance. "You're gay with Magnus Bane?"

Well, I didn't really expect that to come out of her mouth. Magnus made a noise of faint humour. "Eloquently put, Maryse, really." He drawled.

I was freaking out inside. My mother was hysterical, but what was worse was that my father just stood there with no expression on his face. I chewed on my lip as I met his gaze. Magnus squeezed my hand again as he tried to calm down Mom. From her talk, it sounded like she had more against me not telling her that I was gay and the person that I was with than the fact of me being homosexual.

Mom stopped her ranting and moved forward to bring me into a bone-crushing hug. She hadn't hugged me since I was small. "I love you so much, Alec." She whispered, and I could hear the tears in her voice. "I don't know why you kept yourself from me, but we're going to talk about this, okay?" She pulled away and looked at me with eyes that mirrored mine, then kissed me on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you, Alec." She said. Then, she mentioned something about having to find Jocelyn, and left just Magnus, my dad, and me.

After locking gazes with me for a while, Dad finally did something to break his scary-calm. Deliberatly, he offered his hand to Magnus. My boyfriend reached over and shook it firmly. "You be good to my boy. He obviously cares about you a lot," Dad said.

"Don't worry, I will." Magnus said with conviction.

I let out a shuddering breath that I didn't know I was holding. My father turned his attention to me. "Alec." He sighed, "I'm so sorry."

"Wh-what?"

He just looked at me. "I'm sorry that your mother and I made you feel that you had to hide from us."

I was astonished. "No! It wasn't you, it was me!" I exclaimed. Magnus could see that I was emotional right now, and he tried to calm me by stroking my hand. It didn't work. I could still feel the tears in my eyes. They were the product of both good and bad things happening all at once. Good that my parents accepted me-something I had been terrified of since I was thirteen; good that Magnus and I were together again. Bad that Max had just died; that we had just faced the battle of the century and no one knew where Jace was.

Dad spoke softly to me. "No, son. We love you no matter who you are or who you're with, alright?" I nodded, biting my lip again. He opened his arms. "Come here."

I don't remember ever hugging my dad, not since I was very young. Dad was never into that kind of thing. He never kissed the top of my head when he tucked me in or anything like that; it was always Mom who did. But, at that young age, I knew that he loved me just as much as Mom did. Hugging him now, in a huge room filled with Shadowhunters and Downworlders, in front of the love of my life, I broke down and cried into my Dad's shoulder.

After a few moments, I pulled away from him, ashamed of my tears. "I'm sorry." I muttered.

"No." He said, and I noticed that his eyes were moist, too. My father, who never cried. I guess we've all taken an emotional beating these last few days. "It's okay, son."

"Thank you, Dad." He hugged me again briefly, nodded at Magnus, who was standing there sort of awkwardly, and then left to find my mom.

I turned back to Magnus, who said, "Well I felt like I was intruding on something. Sorry about creeping on your family moment." He smiled crookedly at me, trying to lighten the mood.

I laughed and stepped into his arms. He sighed into my hair and then tilted my face up to kiss away the tears. Then, he kissed me gently on the lips. "I'm so proud of you, Alec." He said, looking into my eyes.

"I love you." I said back.

He smiled. It was a brilliant smile that lit up eyes like beacons. "I love you, too."

**Two Days Later...**

I was reading in the Institute library when Dad walked in. "Can I talk to you, son?" He asked.

I put the book on Demonology onto the small table beside the chair I was sitting in. "Um, sure."

He sat down in a chair near mine. He was wearing a collared shirt and dark pants. I always find it weird to see my dad in anything but fighting gear. When I was small, he was always my big, brave, warrior of a dad, because I rarely saw him without it. He still looks big and brave to me, though, even now. Even when I've seen him cry over Max and distance himself from my mom. He's still my hero. And that's why I was so terrified to come out to him.

"You know, when Valentine started the Circle, he recruited a lot of the outsiders, people society looked down upon." It was disconcerning listening to my dad talk about the Circle and knowing that he was a part of it. I listened attentively, though, because Dad never talked about his life with me before. He continued, "Now, I see that it was so that we'd be more spiteful towards the people who had wronged and alienated us, but at the time we thought it was kindness. We thought that he was taking us under his wing. And, in a way, he was. But, it was more like building an army.

"I was a little younger than you, Alec. And nobody respected me as a Shadowhunter."

"Why?" I felt foolish for interrupting, but the idea of someone looking down on Dad seemed so wrong.

He looked me in the eye. "Because I was afraid of the Marks."

I hadn't known anything about this before. I tried to wrap my head around it. "Why?" I repeated, and felt a little stupid. Dad didn't seem to notice, though.

He shook his head and tried to put his feelings into words. I could tell that he had never told anyone about this before, none of my siblings, and I felt special. "I didn't like how they could control my abilities, I didn't like how they left scars after they were done and how they were a part of me that I had no control over. I considered the Marks to control me, and that I had no power at all without them. It was an awful feeling because I wanted to be in control of my whole life."

He shook his head. "I was terrified. And no one else seemed to share the same point of view. Everyone looked down on me." His dark eyes met mine again, and all I saw was kindness. "So, I do have some idea of how you were feeling, Alec. That no one would accept you, that something that's a big part in your life could turn on you."

Dad stood up abruptly. "And now I've said my piece. I'll leave you to your studies." He made to the door, but I spoke up.

"Dad!" He turned. "Thanks." He smiled and left the room.

**Author's Second Note: Well, this had a mind of it's own! :P Tell me what you thought of it, please?**

**Take care.**  
><strong>-Patricia Sage<strong>


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